8 Reasons Radio Remains as Relevant As Ever

So many people have written eulogies or epitaphs for professional radio and yet here we are and here we stand. Radio is still a part of the day for millions of listeners across the country and across the globe. While new forms of content have segmented the audience, radio still finds ways to adapt and thrive and continue. There are many reasons why radio remains relevant even in an era with more choices than ever before. Here are 8 of the best reasons why radio is still relevant today…

8 Radio is still in every car in America - Whether you’re buying high end luxury or a new to you used car, you have a radio. The automotive industry and the broadcasting industry are and will likely remain friends even as the way consumers take in information changes. Sure, you can listen to a podcast in your car now and even stream videos from YouTube, though I hope you don’t do that while driving. Radio is the default, it’s there when your data runs out or when internet service is shoddy. It’s there all the time, always ready with entertaining content.

7 Radio is still Free - Streaming music services tried to beat radio by getting into your car but they came with a fee. Radio meanwhile, thanks to advertiser support, remains an option for anyone without a cost. Being free is a major advantage over satellite radio and even over podcasts which can cost you through hidden fees for data or by taking space on your phone or hidden fees for making sure you can connect to the internet. A radio doesn’t have to wait for a download or take up space on your phone. It’s waiting for you at all times just a push of a button or a twist of a knob.

6 Radio has been in the Content Game for years - Radio is blessed with some of the most talented and creative minds who’ve built their lives around creating content. If any industry is ready for a future based on creating a constant, unending stream of content, it’s radio. Radio hosts can create quality content for just about any medium, new or old. We’ve done it for years and will continue to do it for years to come.

5 Radio was making podcasts before podcasts ever existed - Many thought leaders and trend followers have pronounced the death of radio because of the growth and democratic nature of podcasts. What they fail to recognize in these pronouncements is that radio was creating podcasts before podcasts ever existed. In fact, it was a radio icon who helped to popularize the form. Adam Curry began his career in radio before getting a gig on MTV and then becoming one of the first and most well known podcasters with the launch of his podcast in 2005. Curry is a symbol of the adaptability of radio and radio talent and one could argue that podcasting would not exist without radio.

4 Curation and The Tyranny of Choice - People love creating lists of their favorite songs on streaming apps but if you’ve ever created a playlist you know how hard it can be to choose from the endless myriad choices available. Music radio does the curating for you and that is a relief to many. It can be hard to find new music when it comes to streaming services, radio meanwhile has the knowledge, connections and expertise on hand to locate popular music and give it a free platform where people can discover it easily. In this way, radio and spotify actually work well together. Listening to the radio in your car you can hear new music from a new artist and add it to your playlist at the gym or at home. By being the expert curators of modern music from all genres, radio is positioned as both a competitor and as an aid to the same streaming services that so many think will bring radio to an end.

3 Niche Programming - Radio has been divided into various identifiable niches for decades. Country music on one station, right wing talk radio on another station, Top 40 on this station, Rock on this station. All of it curated by expert programmers using the latest research to determine what the mix you will enjoy the most is. Other forms of media may let you curate for yourself but if you don’t want the burden of doing it yourself, radio is your alternative. Radio is there 24/7 choosing content for you, taking the hassle out of searching for something you might enjoy.

2 Family Friendly - Podcasting gave hosts the freedom to work outside the bounds of FCC restrictions and that’s not a bad thing. Adults using adult language is normal and can create a deeper emotional connection with hosts because they talk like you talk. That said, some words and some topics are things you may not want your kids to hear. It’s not a value judgment, it’s just personal preference. One thing that every parent knows is that they can safely listen to the radio and hear their favorite song or their favorite talk show and generally they don’t have to worry about covering the ears of the kids. Radio still has strict guidelines for what can and cannot be said on the radio and while this is a limitation, it’s also a strength for those who want content that they can listen to with younger children around.

1 Localism - There are many really great podcasts in the world hosted by famous people or focused on topics of interest to a vast audience. Radio however, is the place you can go to find what is happening where you live. Radio is in your hometown. The local radio station is the one talking about things happening near you that you want to be part of. It could be a farmer's market, a PTA meeting. A church meeting, it could be a concert coming to your area, your local radio station and it’s social media arms, it’s online and on the air presence, serves that localism. You might listen to a sports podcast but if you want to hear about local High School Football, look for your local radio station. Local can mean radio on the air or in podcast form. Radio stations have taken the on air product and repurposed it for the podcast form and brought these two mediums together through local podcasts and local podcasting. Local people in your area are creating local content and broadcasting wherever they can reach you and that is a strength radio has always had, an advantage radio will likely always have. It’s the place where you can still find out what’s happening down the street and what’s happening in the rest of the world.